Precious Memories
by nicol-leoraine
Summary: Everyone has different ideas about art.


**A/N:** _Written for tvnetwork2_las, the prompt was Art. Beta-read by Tania._

**Precious Memories**

When they brought Clara to the Sanctuary, there was no time to give her a proper tour. After they returned from Bhalasaam and their hunt for the Source blood, something was still going on under the surface, something they hadn't figured out yet. They were all tired and Will was leading Clara to her room, too lost in his thoughts to notice her slowing down, until she stopped totally.

"What's with all the art?" she asked when Will turned to her, frowning.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I saw a Rembrandt just hanging there, in the previous hall. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a falsification. Then there is the Greek vase right there," she pointed to the object in question which was standing on a small table in the corner. Will just raised his eyebrows in question and Clara rolled her eyes, for a second channeling Henry.

"Dude, these are really pricey pieces of art! Yet here they are, for anyone to steal."

"Anyone? Really?" Will doubted it.

"Any thief would need to get through Henry's security system first."

"I could do it," Clara said in a challenge and Will laughed.

"You're the invisible girl! Of course you could do it!"

"Well what if something gets broken during a scuffle or a chase?" Clara asked, pointing at the table. Will took a good look at the Greek vase and realized its precarious position.

"I never really thought about it. I guess having met some of those artists in real life changed Magnus' opinion about art." Clara looked dubious but Will let the question slide, his mind still trying to work out Watson's last words.

It was few years later that Will remembered Clara's question. He and the others were cleaning up after an abnormal attack, which resulted in several trashed rooms, broken furniture and paintings strewn from walls. Even the library hadn't escaped the damage, and there were books laying all over the floor. It was amidst those things that Will spotted a child's drawing. He leaned over and picked it up from the floor. Frowning, Will tried to figure out what it was doing there, when he spotted a folder that was just the right size to hold it, with Ashley's name written in bright colors. The folder was faded and there were more drawings peeking out. It was sitting on a shelf with books about famous artists and Will couldn't help a sad smile marring his face.

"Here's your answer Clara," he muttered quietly, shaking his head and looking at the drawing with new eyes. He thought about his friends and family here at the Sanctuary. About what they regarded as art. Henry loved technology, all the new gizmos and software that took him days to crack. It was all those little things that would make Will throw up his arms in frustration, because it was just impossible to figure them out. Kate's eyes lit up when she saw a new prototype of a weapon. Will didn't understand how she could take a liking to something so deadly, but to her, a crossbow was a piece of art, a handgun that Henry built something much more appreciated than a painting from Picasso. Will wasn't sure what Biggie thought of art. He was gentle when dusting old paintings or small statues, but he didn't look like someone who had a deep feeling for art. After all, his taste in books and movies proved it. Though there was one thing the Bigfoot knew how to appreciate and Will only recently learned about... the still and the aged whiskey it produced. Chuckling, Will had to admit that while Biggie's collection could hardly be called art, he found himself regarding it as such. Shaking his head, Will reached up, taking the folder with the rest of the drawings.

He browsed through, appreciating the maturing of the themes as the years passed by. The childish scrabbles became sharper, more defined. The pictures of animals and abnormals replaced by technology or weapon specs. He paused at what must've been the last picture and wondered at the talent that was lost. There was a beautiful portrait of Helen Magnus drawn in charcoal, the bottom of it signed by Ashley, wishing Helen the best mother day ever. Will blinked and closed the folder, suddenly feeling like an intruder. Shaking his head, he started to put the folder back into its place, hidden and safe between books about Salvatore Dali or Da Vinci, when he stopped. Maybe it was time to put these somewhere more deserving. With a new resolve, Will headed to Magnus' office. She looked up when he entered, giving him a tired smile.

"It's a right mess isn't it?" she said, leaning back in the chair slightly. She had just finished cleaning her own office, and would've liked to get some rest, but there were other things needing tending to.

"Yeah, it will take a while to clean it up. I was in the library when I found something you might want to keep here." Will handed her the folder. Magnus took it from his hands, and then she froze, her fingers trailing the name on the front. She looked up at Will and blinked, for once unsure what to say. Will shuffled his feet, hoping he hadn't made a mistake. When Magnus slowly opened the folder and looked at the first drawing, he knew he was right to bring it to her. Her eyes lit up with memories, good ones, and there was a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Thank you," she said and Will nodded, leaving her alone. He now understood why the famous paintings and statues were out in the open. Helen Magnus kept the things she valued most hidden. For her the biggest piece of art was the life she helped to create. Be it the abnormals she helped on daily basis, her team mates, or the drawings of a girl that would never grow old.

**The End**


End file.
